Dictation-graphophone.



" T. H. MACDONALD.

DICTATION GRAPHOPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1908.

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ADICTATION GHAPHOPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG, 20, 1908.

Patented June 16, 1914.

3 SHEETS- SHEET 2,

RECORD/NG P08/ 7'/0N T. H.'MACDONALD.

DICTATION GRAPHOPHONE.

APPLICATloN NLM) AUG. 29, 1908.

1,100,024, Patented June 16, 1914.

3 SHEETS-f-SHEET 3.

THOMAS H. MACDONALD?, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN GRAPHOPHONE COMPANY, OF BRIIDGrEPOItT,`

WEST VIRGINIA.A

CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF DICTATION-GRAPHOPI-IONE.

slieeincauon of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application led August 29, 1908. Serial No. 450,811.

To cllwhom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. MACDON- ica, and a resident of Bridgeport, Fairfield county, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Dictation-Grapho-phone, which is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to talking-machines employed for dictation purposes, where both a recorder and a reproducer are required, and Where it is also desirable at times to throw the parts out of gear while the motor is still running. It has been proposed to locate the recording-stylus and the 'reproducing-stylus upon a diaphragm common to both, and then by shift-ing the position of the diaphragm bring either of the two stystandards at lthe rear of an ordinary graphephone. fnecting the lower portions of these standluses into play. But-entirely satisfactory results are not obtained in ,such constructions for two reasons: In the first place, other things being equal, and Within reasonable limits, the lighter the recording-device the more sensitive it is, and the better it wilf record; whereas a reproducing-device acts better the heavier it is.- 'In the second place, a recorder should'have the vertical playnecessary to adjust itself to any unintentional eccentricity ot' the blank-cylinder, but should not have any lateral play; whereas the reproducer should have not only the vertical play, but also sufficient lateral play to enable it to track lthe helical record-groove of vthe sound-record. It has also been proposed to have two speakers interchangeable upon the machine, one a recorder and the other a reproducer. in order t-o provide the two differing qualities just. mentioned.

It is the object of the present invention to provide .in a single construction a speaker that is capable of ready adjustment into each one of three positions (1) where it becomes a comparatively light recorder having vertical play but no lateral play; (2) where it becomes a comparatively' heavy reproducer having both lateral and also vertical play;

n and (3) where it is neutral.

^ The invention consists, then, of the speaker carrying the recording-stylus and the reproducing-stylus upon a common diaphragm, in combination with the ordinary startand-stop mechanism and suitable attachments and connecting-devices by which the adjustments above referred to may be aeeomplished.

The invention consists further in the de- Fig.v 3 is a similar view, showing :adjusted to become a g Fig-4 is a substantially horizontal section taken through the speaker and its connecting parts.

tails and arrangements hereinafter pointed out and claimed'. ALD, a citizen of the United States' of Amel- My invention will be best understood by reference to the annexed drawings, inl

which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through the parts upon an ordinary graphophone or other talking -maehine, showing the speaker in its inoperative or neutral position; Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the device adjusted to become a recorder the device reproducer; and

1 indicates one of the two vertical end- 2 is the horizontal guide-rod conlards; and 2 indicates the scale-plate across the top. 3 is a vertical piece Whose lower4 end straddles and engages guide-rod 2 and g whose upper end, connected to the carriage, is provided with the spring-pressed plunger =1 that carries the partial nut' 5 for engagement withthe feed-screw 6; 'this partial nut is intwo portions located longitudinally Eof the feed-screw and constituting a Y, and

in the cut-awaypo-rtion between them is located the ring 7 which surrounds the feedscrew and is provided with the manipulating-lever S; this ring is likewise provided with the two cut-away portions 9 and 10, between which is the nose or cam 11. lVhen the lever S is turned to the left (as in Fig. Q) or `to the right. (as in Fig. 3) therespeetive portions 9 and l0 permit the nut 5 to engage the feed screw; and when the lever 8 is turned in the intermediate position (as in Fig. 1) the nose 11 forces plunger 4 and nut 5 downward out of engagement with the feed-screw. All this is the usual start-andstop construction as found in my U. Q. Letters-Patent No. 569,290, dated Oct. 13, 1896. Upon the top of the carriage is shown a xed handle 12 for convenience in shitting it from side to side of the machine.

Fixedly attached to the hollow easing 12 which constitutes a part ot' the carriage, is the tubular piece-13, shown as provided with the reduced outer end 14 (for receiving the fiexible tube for the mouth-piece), and provided at its other end with a flange 15 by which it is screwed or otherwise secured to the casing 12. Within fixed tube 13 is the .telescoping-tube 16; and the spherical end of the trunnion-tube 17 is secured therein by" the pivot 18 which permits tube 17 to have sufficient lateral swing, while the spherical head insures a practically air-tightl joint. 19 is the diaphragm head of the recorder and reproducer, whose upper end (made spherical for the Same purpose) is secured in the inner end of the trunniontube 17 by means of the horizontal pin 20, that permits up-and-down movement of the head Owing to these two pins 18-20, the head 19 is capable both of lateral and of up-and-down movement; while by reason of the telescoping-tube 16 it may be shifted in and out. A set-screw 21 extends upward through the bottom wall of fixed tube 13, where it engages the longitudinal slot 22 in the teleseoping-tube 16, to prevent any axial swiveling of the latter. The head 19 has the usual diaphragm 23, that carriesy a recording-stylus 24, and slightly in advance thereof a reproducing-stylus 25,- the two extending in the same vertical plane transversely of the recording cylinder 26.

1When the head 19 is shifted forward, as in Fig. 2, the recording-stylus 24 is in proper position to record upon cylinder 26, while the reproducing-stylus is out of engagement; whereas, when the head has been shifted back up into fixed tube 13 (as inA Fig. 3), the recording-stylus is thrown out of position and the reproducing-stylus 25 is brought into operative position. Set-screw 21 and slot 22 guide this movement, so that the styluses may not be tilted out of the vertical plane.

The lower edge of ring 7 (of the startand-stop device) is transversely slotted, as at 7 to receive the forward end of a link 27, which is pivoted to the nose 11 of said ring. At its rea r the link engages telescoping tube 16 by means of slot 28 passing over a transverse pin 29, upon the adjacent end of tube 16. This slotted connection at 28 permits the necessary'play; while link 27 is held in proper engagement by means'of spring 30, shown as carried within a tubular device 31, whose upper end is pivoted at 32 (upon the underside of casing 12), its lower end having a slotted engagement with link 27. Moving handle 8 forward (to the'- left, see Fig. 2), carries link 27 rearward (to the right), and extends head 19 to bring recording-stylus 211 into position; and when carried to the rear (to the right,see Fig. 3), handle S shifts link 27 to the left and retracts head 19 to bring reproducing-stylus 25 into play.

A disk-like weight 33 (see Fig. 4) is located above the head 19, its central portion being cut away to provide the two members 34-34 that straddle the neck of head 19 and are pivoted at 35-35 upon the adjacent inner end of trunnion-tube 17. The nose 36 on the outer end of weight 33 is adapted to engage the adjacent seat 37 in casing 12; and a little to the rear of nose 36 is shown Aa depending boss adapted to bear upon head 19. Near the upper end of the stem of head 19, and upon its under side, is the cam 38, separating recesses or seats 39 and 40. In the neutral position (Fig. 1) this cam rides upon the projected end of the set-screw 21, so that the head 19 and the weight 33 are tilted up (both of the styluses being thus disengaged), and the nose 36 of the weight is in position to become engaged in the seat 37; in either of the other two positions (Figs. 2 or 3) the end of the set-screw 21 rests in one of the two seats 39 or 40, and

the head 19 is allowed to drop with one or the other of its two styluses in operative position.

The operation of my machine is as follows, referring first to Fig. 1, which shows the neutral position: The manipulatinglever 8 is vertical, its cam or nose 11 has forced downward the plunger 4 and has disengaged the partial nuts 5 from t-he feedscrew 6, whose rotation will no longer propel the carriage;at the same time the link 27, in its medial position, has shifted the head 19 to the position where its cam 38 (by, riding upon the end of set-screw 21) has lifted the head 19 and the weight 33 so that'hoth the styluses are out of engagement. The machine runs idly, the carriage is not propelled, and neither stylus acts upon the cylinder 26.

In order to record, a suitable blank-cylinder 26 being placed upon the mandrel and.

the operator ready to dictate into the mouthpiece,-the manipulatingdever 8 is turned forward (to the left, as in Fig. 2). The cut-away port-ion 9 of the ring 7 permits the partial-nuts 5 to engage the feed-screw, so that the carriage will be propelled along the machine; the link 27 (by completing its traverse to the right,) unseats the cam 38, and the seat 39 permits the head 19 to drop down until its recording-stylus 24 engages the cylinder 26,-meanwhilc the nose 36 of theweight 33 has become engaged in the seat 37, thus relieving the head of the weight, and locking the trunnion-tube 17 and head 19 against lateral swing. Consequently head 19 now acts as a comparatively light recorder, being relieved of the weight 33; and the recorder is capable of up-anddown movement only.

In order to reproduce sound, the manipulating-lever 8 is first carried to the neutral (vertical) position (Fig. 1), and the entire carriage shifted bac t to the starting-point; and then the lever 8 is moved backward (to the right) as in Fig. 3. The cut-away portion 10 permits the partial-nuts 5 to engage the feed-screw 6, and the carriage is now parts; the weight 33 is disengaged from seat 37 and rests upon the 'back ofthe head 19; and the cam 3S having passed ent-irely over the screw 21, the recess 40 permits the head 19 and the weight 33 to drop into the position shown in Flg. 3, where the -reproducing-stylus 25 is in operative contact-Withthe record-cylinder 26. There is now nothing to prevent the lateral play obtainable by means of the pin 18. Consequently the device has become a comparatively heavy reproducing-device susceptible not only of lip-and-down movement, but also of the lateral play necessary to track in the recordgroove.

The compact-ness and eiciency of my invention are noticeable.- The simplicity of its operation is even more striking: When not in use the lever 8 stands upright; in order to dictate, the operator merely draws this lever forward and speaks into the mouth-piece; in order to reproduce he merely shifts the lever 8 in order to move the carriage to the beginning of the record, and then pushes lever 8 backward and listens to the reproduction.

In order to disassemble the parts as for cleaning or repairing, if the same should by any chance become necessary, all that is required is to remove the screws which secure flange 15 of the outer fixed tube 13 to the casing 12, and draw oit the outer Itube 13;.

then, if further access to the parts be de sired, the forward end of link 27 may easily be lifted from the transverse pin 28, and the parts separated.

I have described the details of my invention with some particularity, but only for the sake of clearness since it will be understood that my invention is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement of parts herein set forth. Changes may be made therein and parts of the device used to the exclusion of other parts without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In atalking-machine, a comparatively heavy reproducer having both vertical and lateral play, in combination with means comprising a link for transforming the .same into a comparatively light recorder having vertical play only.

2. In a talking-machine, a vertically.

swinging recorder locked against lateral play and having a reproducing-stylus upon its diaphragm, in combination with a weight independent of said recorder, and means for bringing said reproducingstylus into position while applying` said weight to the same and permitting lateral play thereof.

3. In a. talking-machine, a. reproducer having bot-h lateral and vertical play and carrying a recording-stylus, an independent weight bearing upon said reproducer, and means for removing said weight while` bringing said recording-stylus into position and locking it against lateral play.

4. In atalking-machine, the combination' of a start-and-stop mechanism, a diaphragm, a recording-stylus .mounted to be actuated thereby, a rcproducing-stylus for actuating said diaphragm, said styluses being mounted to have lateral as well as vertical play, means locking said styluses against lateral play, a weight-device supported with its effective pressure not bearing upon said Styluses, and connecting-means between said start-and-sto-p mechanism and the mounting for said styluses, whereby the shifting of said mechanism brings said reproducingstylus into operative relation with the recording-tablet carried by said machine and releases said locking-lneans and applies the effective pressure of said weight-device upon said reproducing-stylus.

5. In a talking-machine, the combination of a start-and-stop mechanism, a diaphragm, a reproducingstylus mounted to actuate the same, a recording-stylus to be actuated thereby, said styluses being mountedto have lateral as well as vertical play, means for locking said styluses against lateral play, a weight-device supported with its effective pressure bearing upon saidstyluses,

and connecting means between said start-andstop mechanism and the mounting for said styluses, whereby the shifting of said mechanism brings said recording-stylus into operative relation with the recording-tablet carried by said talking-machine and applies said locking-means and relieves said recording stylus of the effective pressure of Said weight-device.

6. In 'a talking-machine, the combination of a head having both lateral and vertical play, a diaphragm therein that carriesa recording-stylus and a reproducing-stylus, mechanism for shifting said head rectilinearly in order to bring either stylus into operation to the exclusion of the other, a pivo'tcd weight-device independent of said head but adapted to rest'thereon, and means actuated by the shifting operation aforesaid for locking said head against lateral play and relieving it of the weight of said device while the recordingstylus is in operation and for permit-ting said head to have lateral play and said weight to rest thereon while the reproducing-stylus is in operation.

7. In a talking-machine, a head having both lateral and vertical play. a diaphragm therein that carries a recording-stylus and a reproducing-stylus, means. for shifting said head to bring either stylusinto operation, means for adding` weightfto thehead when the reproducer is in operation, means for relieving said head of said weight and for locking it against lateral play-when the recording-stylus' is in operation, and in combination with the foregoing, a start-andstop mechanism andmeans actuated thereby for operating all of the means beforementioned.

8. In a talking-machine, a fixed tube upon the carriage, a telescoping-tube mounted therein, a trunnion-tube swinging laterally in the latter, a speaker swinging verticallyA in the trunnion-tube -and having a diaphragm carrying a recording-stylus and a reproducing-stylus, a swinging weight mounted upon said trunnion-tube and resting upon said speaker, means for lifting said speaker and weight, means for locking said Weight in its lifted position independent of 'the speaker, a sta-rt-and-stop mechanism,

vand connection between the latter and the ltelescoping-tube whereby either style 1s brought into position and* the head and weight are lifted and the latter locked or the two allowed to drop into position.

9. In a talking-machine, a speaker-head having a diaphragm carryingl a recording and a reproducing-stylus, said head being pivotcd in a trunniontube to swing vertically and having a cam on the lower side of its neck, the said trunnion-tube being pivoted in a telcscoping-tube to swing laterally and having a weight pivoted at its inner end to swing vertically to and from said head, the said weight having means for securing it out of contact with said head, said telescoping-tube having a longitudinal slot and having operative connection .with the start-and-stop mechanism of the machine, and a stud coperating with the last-named slot to guide'the telcscoping-tubc and coacling with the caln aforesaid to tilt the speaker-head.

10. In a talking-machine, a recorder having .vertical play only and carrying a diaphragm provided with a reproducing stylus, start-and-stop mechanism for'said machine, and means actuated by said mechanism for bringing said reproducing-stylus into position while. permitting lateral as well as vertical play thereof.

11. In a talking-machine, a reproducer having both lateral and vertical play, and carrying a diaphragm provided with a recording-stylus, start-and-stop mechanism for said machine, and means actuated by said mechanism for bringing the recording-stylus into position while locking it against lateral play.

12. In a talking-machine, a recorderhaving vertical play only and carrying upon its diaphragm a reproducing-stylus, start-and-stop mechanism, and connecting-means between said mechanism and said recorder whereby shifting of said mechanism brings said reproducing-stylus into position while permitting lateral as well as vertical play thereof.

13. In a talking-machine, a reproducer having both vertical and lateral play and carrying upon its diaphragm a recordingstylus, start-and-stop mechanism, and connecting-means between said mechanism and said reproducer whereby shifting of said mechanism brings said recording-stylus into ppsition while locking it against lateral p ay.

14. In a talking-machine, the combination of a recording-stylus and a reproducingstylus located in the same plane and normally capable of lateral as .well as vertical play, a diaphragm operatively related to said styluses, an independently mounted weight adapted to apply pressure upon said reproducing-stylus, and means for shifting said styluses in said plane to bring the recording-stylus into operative relation to the talking-machine tablet to the exclusion of the other stylus while removing the pressure of said weight and holding said recording-stylus locked against lateral play.

15. In a talking-machine, the combination of a recording stylus, a reproducing stylus having` both lateral and vertical play, a weight shiftable to applypressure to said reproducing stylus, and means for removing said weight while bringing said recording stylus into position, said recording stylus when in posit-ion being locked against lateral play.

16. In a talking machine, the combination of a recording stylus, a reproducing stylus having both lateral and vertical play, an independent weight shiftable to apply pressure to said reproducing stylus, and means for removing said weight while bringing said recording stylus into position, said recording stylus when in position being locked against lateral play.

In testimonyY whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS H. MACDONALD.

lVitnesses N. B. FLATHER, L. B. NICHOLSON.'v 

